Beer/Meat/Victory
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- Apr 3, 2017
- Location
- Pittsbur...
Long time lurker, limited time poster. Without writing a novel, I've had the opportunity to cook a lot more Briskets (and a few butts) than normal so this is the first time I've been able to fine tune some techniques in a short span of more than just a brisket every month or so for the family.
Synopsis goes like this.... Virus spreads, get laid off, have way more time on my hands. Friend asks via social media if I'd make some BBQ for him...many many more friends chime in and want the same. Let's just say they are donating to me while I'm out of work to do this. Sometimes it's a barter for things they have as well.
It just me my OKJ, WSM and a pile of hickory. I cooked a case of Brisket (and a case of butts) last week I got through a supplier (friend has a legit food business), all of them turned out great. I've been using the COS for briskets just because I'm one of those guys who prefers the stickburner, but doing the butts on the WSM because I need to get these things cooked and only have some much room on the COS. However, this week the supplier was out of briskets (just plain ol' choice, nothing fancy). So I had to scrounge around and head to Sam's. Found 4 lone Briskets and snagged them up and have been cooking them this week 2 at a time on the OK Joe Highland. So here's the issue to which I'd love some advice...
On the Sam's Briskets (excel choice I believe), The flats turn out great but the points just aren't rendering out with one completely unusable. I noticed on the first cook they were serviceable but not quite melt in your mouth butter we want from a point. Today I cooked the other 2 and did an experiment. One I left whole and cooked to the end with a 3 hour rest before portion and vac seal. The other I separated after the point felt done and threw the point back on the OKJ for an extra hour. The separated brisket turned out great, the whole brisket had a terrible unrendered point. Cooking 9 Briskets in about a week allows me to check for inconsistencies in my plan and adjust, and I've never had that opportunity before. Do you think I would be wasting time separating EVERY brisket after the flat was done or were these just some anomalies of the beef world. Cooking just for the family I think this has happened once out of many 30 Briskets. Could it also be I'm overloading a small smoker not allowing proper airflow? The Sam's briskets were each a couple pounds larger than the prior week's case of brisket...so I guess that could make sense. All cooked in the range of 275 using Hickory, same wood pile. So other than size there's really been little variable in the cooks. I've got 2 more cases of Brisket coming Monday so trying to find my best method with minimal loss....Thanks in advance and here's some pics of the cooks.
Synopsis goes like this.... Virus spreads, get laid off, have way more time on my hands. Friend asks via social media if I'd make some BBQ for him...many many more friends chime in and want the same. Let's just say they are donating to me while I'm out of work to do this. Sometimes it's a barter for things they have as well.
It just me my OKJ, WSM and a pile of hickory. I cooked a case of Brisket (and a case of butts) last week I got through a supplier (friend has a legit food business), all of them turned out great. I've been using the COS for briskets just because I'm one of those guys who prefers the stickburner, but doing the butts on the WSM because I need to get these things cooked and only have some much room on the COS. However, this week the supplier was out of briskets (just plain ol' choice, nothing fancy). So I had to scrounge around and head to Sam's. Found 4 lone Briskets and snagged them up and have been cooking them this week 2 at a time on the OK Joe Highland. So here's the issue to which I'd love some advice...
On the Sam's Briskets (excel choice I believe), The flats turn out great but the points just aren't rendering out with one completely unusable. I noticed on the first cook they were serviceable but not quite melt in your mouth butter we want from a point. Today I cooked the other 2 and did an experiment. One I left whole and cooked to the end with a 3 hour rest before portion and vac seal. The other I separated after the point felt done and threw the point back on the OKJ for an extra hour. The separated brisket turned out great, the whole brisket had a terrible unrendered point. Cooking 9 Briskets in about a week allows me to check for inconsistencies in my plan and adjust, and I've never had that opportunity before. Do you think I would be wasting time separating EVERY brisket after the flat was done or were these just some anomalies of the beef world. Cooking just for the family I think this has happened once out of many 30 Briskets. Could it also be I'm overloading a small smoker not allowing proper airflow? The Sam's briskets were each a couple pounds larger than the prior week's case of brisket...so I guess that could make sense. All cooked in the range of 275 using Hickory, same wood pile. So other than size there's really been little variable in the cooks. I've got 2 more cases of Brisket coming Monday so trying to find my best method with minimal loss....Thanks in advance and here's some pics of the cooks.
